


Diamond in the Roof

by wellthatjusthappend



Series: Story Requests [37]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, I'm not typing that again, M/M, drat I put all those in the character tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24136075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthatjusthappend/pseuds/wellthatjusthappend
Summary: Slade was on a hunt for the young Mer with the diamond scales.But it's not quite that simple.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Slade Wilson, Jason Todd/Slade Wilson
Series: Story Requests [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1373494
Comments: 11
Kudos: 214





	Diamond in the Roof

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: _Rainbowfish merjay just kinda wishing people would respect things like consent and boundaries regarding his scales._
> 
> Gah, Rainbow Fish always made me super upset. That and Giving Tree. There’s sharing, and then there’s other demanding you harm yourself for other’s benefit. What a thing to put in a kid’s book. 
> 
> Good prompt!

Slade was on a hunt for the young Mer with the diamond scales.

They weren’t actually diamond of course- they’d probably be less valuable if they were- but instead made from some sort of mutation that particular Mer had which caused some of its scales to crystallize. One merchant had described it like being able to hold every rainbow that would ever exist in your hand. 

Slade wasn’t quite that romantic, but he had gotten so see a small one up close and he could see how they could mesmerize someone. 

“I’ll give you half a million for every scale you bring me,” the merchant told him, “More, if you can get bigger ones than these.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Slade said.

Some research had shown that that the scales might be worth possibly even more than that. The longer they were on the market, the more the demand grew. 

Slade had to find the Mer.

It was a lot more difficult than he’d anticipated, the little fish had gone into hiding. However, Slade wasn’t discouraged. He was a seasoned hunter, he knew he’d fine him eventually. 

It was the scales that gave him away in the end. 

Mer frequently lost scales when they rubbed up against rocks and coral. It didn’t hurt them anymore than human losing a few strands of hair in a brush. Slade notices that some of the scales were sticking weirdly to the rocks and found them covered in tar. Rubbing them off revealed that tell tale shimmer he’d been searching for. 

“Clever fish,” Slade hummed, tucking the scales into his pocket.

When he found the Mer, he was fighting for his life from a band of hunters.

That wouldn’t do. 

Slade dove into the fray and helped the Mer dispatch his would-be killers. Slade could see the logic: kill the Mer, take the tail and you would be the richest person on the planet. But it was short-sighted and wasteful, and Slade had no qualms about relieving the fools of their lives. 

“You alright, kid?” Slade asked.

“Like you care,” snarled the Mer, “Don’t lie, you’re after me just like the rest of those scum.”

It was hard to tell how much of the Mer’s scales had the mutation with the tar covering his tail, but Slade’s estimate was ‘enough’. There was also a streak of that shimmering silver in the boy’s black hair that suggested that the mutation wasn’t restricted to his scales. 

What bothered Slade was the scars. Now, it wasn’t unusual for a Mer to have plenty of scars, but this poor kid was covered in them, especially on his tail. Slade could tell there were whole patches where scales had been forcibly ripped off and never grew back. The boy’s color was weak, and his hair and tail gone slightly dull from the stress of prolonged hunting.

_ Wasteful _ , Slade thought angrily at his fellow hunters. The utter fools were ruining what could otherwise be a rich- and self renewing- treasure.

“I’m fucking done with the whole lot of you,” growled the Mer, “I’m tired of assholes thinking they can just come up and take shit without asking. I’m tired of people thinking they can destroy my homes looking for scales I’ve shed. I’m fucking  _ tired _ of having to look over my shoulder and finding fuckers like you looking to take a piece of me.”

“Understandable,” Slade nodded, backing off just far enough to let the Mer have his space.

“Here, just,” Slade held back a wince as the boy ripped off one of his scales without looking and extending it to Slade, “just take this and get the fuck away from me.”

The scale was twice the size of the one the Merchant had. Slade bet it was worth 2 million at least. 

He made no move to take it.

“What’s you name, little rainbow fish?” Slade asked.

“What’s it to you?” the Mer sneered. When Slade just held his gaze, the boy looked away and muttered, “...Jason.”

“My name is Slade Wilson,” he said, “And though it’s true I was contracted to get a few of your scales, I see no reason to hurt you by doing so.”

“What are you talking about?” Jason said wearily. Slade noted the way he’d tensed when he’d heard his name; so he wasn’t unaware of Slade’s reputation. Good.

“Let’s make a deal,” Slade said, a slow smile beginning to spread across his face, “If you let me have some of your scales when they naturally fall out, then I will provide you with absolute protection.” 

“You’re just greedy like the rest of them,” Jason wrinkled his nose in distaste. 

“I am greedy,” acknowledged Slade, “But perhaps not quite ‘like the rest of them’; If you came to live with me, your space would be your own, and I would never enter it unless you invited me there. I would never ‘harvest’ from you, and the only scales I would take would be the ones you freely give. If you decide to keep the scales you shed to yourself, then I won’t take them from you or allow anyone else to do so.”

A flicker of longing crossed the Mer’s face for one moment before it was hidden behind suspicion again. 

“Why would you do that? That doesn’t sound like a profitable situation. What’s really in it for you,” Jason asked, glaring at him.

“On the contrary, if you kept your scales to yourself it would only drive the price and value of them up because of their scarcity,” Slade said, shrugging, “And as the only supplier, that could only benefit me. In exchange, I would do everything in my power to ensure your happiness and safety.”

Jason shifted, his tail swirling around him testily as he thought it over, fingers absentmindedly tracing a scar on his flank where several scales had been ripped off by force. What wasteful fools. 

“Say I agree, what happens if I change my mind and want to leave later on?” Jason finally said.

Slade had to stop a triumphant smile from spreading across his face.

“You would be free to leave at any time,” he assured him. It might even be beneficial if Jason did decide to leave him for a brief time- just long enough to come swimming back into Slade’s arms at a taste of the brutality of life without his protection.

“Alright,” Jason said, raising his head and meeting his eyes, “You have a deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> This could stay platonic, or not. It really probably depends on whatever Slade decides will be most profitable in the long run. Binding a living fortune like Jason to himself as a mate, would only be to his benefit, but Jason also knows that and would be instantly suspicious. 
> 
> If you've ever wanted to send a story request, feel free! Doing MerMay right now. Besides AO3, I'm on [Tumblr](https://wellthatjusthappend.tumblr.com/mywriting),[DA](https://www.deviantart.com/wellthatjusthappened), and Discord. Same username. 
> 
> If you want a continuation of a story you see here, you can always send another prompt. Not sure how to do so? Check my [FAQ](https://wellthatjusthappend.tumblr.com/faq).


End file.
